TikTok has described as “pure fantasy” a report that China is considering allowing the sale of the social media company’s US operations to Elon Musk.
The company's comments came in response to a report from Bloomberg that Chinese officials are considering an option that could result in the sale of their American business to the world's richest person if the US Supreme Court upholds the ban on the app.
Supreme Court justices are set to rule on a law that sets a January 19 deadline for TikTok to either sell its US operations or face a ban in the country.
TikTok has repeatedly said it will not sell its US operations.
A TikTok spokesperson told BBC News: “We can't be expected to comment on pure fiction.”
One possible scenario Chinese officials are considering is for Musk's X social media platform to take control of TikTok's U.S. operations, Bloomberg reported, citing people familiar with the matter.
Musk is a close ally of US President-elect Donald Trump, who is scheduled to return to the White House on January 20.
Last month, Trump urged the Supreme Court to postpone its decision until he took office to enable him to seek a “political solution.”
His lawyer submitted a legal brief to the court saying Trump “opposes the TikTok ban” and “seeks the ability to resolve the issues at hand through political means once in office.”
This came a week after Trump met with TikTok CEO, Xu Ziqiu, at his home in Mar-a-Lago, Florida.
The Biden administration said that without a sale, China could use TikTok as a tool for espionage and political manipulation.
The company has repeatedly denied any Chinese Communist Party influence and said its US ban violates the First Amendment free speech rights of its users.
